ISIS recognizes it can not win through military means. It may be able to carve out a small geographic area from which to operate, but like Al Qaeda it's greatest tool is propaganda and recruitment. It's ultimate goal is to create a war between Muslims and "the West"/non-Muslims and to do that it is trying to drive a wedge around Muslims globally through terrorist attacks. Terror attacks are a lot of theater specifically for these reasons.
Which is why the Republican rhetoric is so perfectly playing the Robin to ISIS's Batman. Recent studies have shown that where Islamophobia is greatest, the Islamic community becomes more isolated and assimilates less - doing less 'Western' things, speaking poorer English, etc. That isolationism is precisely what ISIS et al. are looking for as that is where extremists will come from (see the difference in European Muslim actions vs. American). Studies have also shown that Islamophobia increases during election years independently of any terrorist act, clearly showing that in election years such as this one (12 month period at least) the rhetoric is affecting people's views and helping ISIS.
I know a lot of the GOP actually want that Christian vs. Muslim war and are therefore happy with potential and actual movement towards that. Others are too ignorant of the impacts to know that they are doing exactly what the extremists are hoping for. For most of the country, however, Trump and his following dung beetles are seen for what they are which is why you are seeing so much reaction to their comments. It's a shame we have such an extremist crowd in this country that is more than happy to help the people they purport to hate.
Which is why the Republican rhetoric is so perfectly playing the Robin to ISIS's Batman. Recent studies have shown that where Islamophobia is greatest, the Islamic community becomes more isolated and assimilates less - doing less 'Western' things, speaking poorer English, etc. That isolationism is precisely what ISIS et al. are looking for as that is where extremists will come from (see the difference in European Muslim actions vs. American). Studies have also shown that Islamophobia increases during election years independently of any terrorist act, clearly showing that in election years such as this one (12 month period at least) the rhetoric is affecting people's views and helping ISIS.
I know a lot of the GOP actually want that Christian vs. Muslim war and are therefore happy with potential and actual movement towards that. Others are too ignorant of the impacts to know that they are doing exactly what the extremists are hoping for. For most of the country, however, Trump and his following dung beetles are seen for what they are which is why you are seeing so much reaction to their comments. It's a shame we have such an extremist crowd in this country that is more than happy to help the people they purport to hate.
